pickup

American  

[pik-uhp] / ˈpɪkˌʌp /

noun

1. an improvement, as in health, business conditions, work, production, etc.

2. Informal. pick-me-up.

3. Informal. a casual, usually unintroduced acquaintance, often one made in hope of a sexual relationship.

4. an instance of stopping for or taking aboard passengers or freight, as by a train, ship, taxicab, etc., especially an instance of taking freight or a shipment of goods onto a truck.

5. the person, freight, or shipment so taken aboard.

   The cab driver had a pickup at the airport who wanted to be driven to the docks.

6. Automotive.

   1. capacity for rapid acceleration.

   2. acceleration; increase in speed.

   3. Also called pickup truck.  a small truck with a low-sided open body, used for deliveries and light hauling.

7. Baseball. the act of fielding a ball after it hits the ground.

8. Also called cartridge.  a small device attached to the end of a phonograph tone arm that contains a stylus and the mechanism that translates the movement of the stylus in a record groove into a changing electrical voltage.

9. Radio.

   1. the act of receiving sound waves in the transmitting set in order to change them into electrical waves.

   2. a receiving or recording device.

   3. the place from which a broadcast is being transmitted.

   4. interference.

10. Television.

    1. the change of light energy into electrical energy in a television camera.

    2. camera tube.

    3. a telecast made directly from the scene of an action.

11. a hitchhiker.

12. Metalworking. (in the cold-drawing of metal) the adhesion of particles of the metal to the die or plug.

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adjective

1. composed of or employing whatever persons are available on a more or less impromptu basis.

   a pickup game of baseball; a pickup dance band.

2. using whatever ingredients are handy or available.

   a Sunday night pickup supper.

Etymology

Origin of pickup

First recorded in 1855–60; noun use of verb phrase pick up

Example Sentences

Participating companies would get access to Uber’s platform, one of the most widely used ride-hailing apps in the world, as well as unique data Uber has collected from busy streets and pickup areas.

From Los Angeles Times

For older adults who no longer drive, GoGoGrandparent offers car pickups that can be requested by phone, and provides family members with notifications about the trip.

From The Wall Street Journal

They sort their waste into colorfully labeled canvas bags the company provides, and wait for a Ridwell pickup.

From Los Angeles Times

So the stories that get news pickup — it’s not what happens to a normal person who maybe became an actor as an adult.

From Los Angeles Times

Tesla is rolling out its “most affordable” version of the Cybertruck as the electric-vehicle maker attempts to turn things around for its futuristic pickup truck.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• acceleration